endl3ss

Hmmm... Started in 1989 with conscript service. Served as a Rifle Squad Leader in Lebanon, 1991. Started NCO training in 1993, LRRP class. Completed in 1994, with another year as LRRP patrol leader. Been at it ever since. Spent some time doing various tasks back home in Norway from 1995 to 1996. After that, recce patrol leader in Bosnia for 1 1/2 years, then 6 months in Bosnia as 2IC for same platoon, then 6 months as Intel officer in Kosovo for same platoon. Recce/Liason officer from mid-2001 to the end of 2002, before I went over to "the dark side" in 2003, becoming a full time "civilian" employee.... I've spent 3 tours in Afghanistan since then, 2 times ISAF and 1 time OEF, and I'm on the verge of going out on my fourth tour this summer, returning (...hopefully...) right across Christmas. Then another 3 months next year. Currently I'm a Major, and considering I've spent the last 10 years of my life more or less outta my homecountry, I'm guessing next year will be my last. So, major will be my highest rank (for those times that I put on a uniform, that is....civilian otherwise). REALLY getting tired of deserts and dirt-brown mountains at this time, and longing for a more or less calm life doing.....something....whatever. And messing about with Star Wars costumes Kudos to everyone doing military service, and contributing outside of their home country!

Ahhh...this is kinda what I'm thinking about. One thing is showing it to your friends, who just haven't been "converted" earlier....but what about your kids? Kids who have not seen ANYTHING Star Wars related at all, but who is suddenly thrown into this incredible universe. Would you all feel the same way about what order to show the movies? I don't know, for me it might swing both ways, I'm kinda partial to doing the original trilogy first, and THEN go for prequels. But that is purely based on my own perception of things, knowing what I know about how things turn out. I'm not totally convinced it will be the "right" way....

Hehe, it's funny to see so many people having the exact same opinion, wherever they come from.... I was very disappointed with the prequels, the original trilogy will always be my favorite, no contest. TPM was not very good, AOTC was slightly better, and ROTS slightly better than the last one. But for me it will always be the original trilogy that rules.....even if I did hate that the mighty Empire lost to a bunch of teddybears.... ROTS was pretty cool though, I loved seeing the clones in their different configurations. AND the 501st was there of course....

Yeah, that's my thinking too, although I'd love to hear what everybody thinks. My instinct would be to show the original trilogy FIRST, and THEN go to the prequel, just like I watched them. But I can definitely see the reasoning behind doing it Ep I thru VI. Just for the record, although I think the effects and the look of the prequel is awesome, it's still nothing compared to the original trilogy. Opening sequence of ANH, attack on the Death Star, the assault on Hoth, asteroid-field chase.........oh man! Keep it coming! I need the input.... Edit: wow....two more managed to answer by the time I got the answer to the second post down....

Hi, I'm in the situation that I'm trying HARD to trick a few persons into watching all the movies. Yes, I know....who on earth would need to be tricked into watching something as great as Star Wars, but they do exist. Anyways, I'm still wondering what would be the best order to show the movies. Some might feel this is obvious, but then again.... Personally, I watched them in the following order: ESB, ANH, ROTJ, TPM, AOTC, ROTS. While I recognize that ANH definitely should've come first, that was the way it turned out for me (....mom....I WANNA see it....everybody else have...!!!!! ). The issue here is not really the individual episodes, but rather the two trilogies. In what order would YOU show them to someone who had never seen them, and didn't know anything about the Star Wars universe, ie. the original trilogy first and then the prequels, or the other way around? I can see the arguments for watching the entire series in its episode-wise "correct" order, but I can also see the reasoning behind watching the original trilogy first, and THEN moving on to the prequel....simply because I did that myself. I think the emotional impact for me was big enough, also it might be argued that the prequel films look "slicker", wich might be an issue for some, as the last films of the series have a slightly "older" look to them in many respects. I know for me watching the last trilogy first, and THEN having a go at the prequels, had a certain emotional impact, as I knew what would become of little Anakin. I know a lot of people loath Jake Lloyd's and Hayden Christensen's acting in the Ep I and II, but for me the fact that I knew what would become of him made these characters all the more tolerable and interesting. And honestly, I actually felt their acting was cool enough, and it had an impact for me. Take a look at THIS pic, it might trigger some of what I felt watching the series in that particular order. Anyways, would very much like to hear Your thoughts on this....

We had this tv-show in Norway that used to show off all the teasers for upcoming movies....there were no commercials on Norwegian tv at the time, so they didn't show teasers between the regular shows. I watched the Star Wars teaser on that tv-show in our livingroom, in my hometown of Trondheim, Norway. This was 1977 and I was 8 years old... The only thing I remembered was seeing Luke, Obi-Wan, Han Solo and Chewbacca in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, as well as part of the Millenium Falcon escape-from-death-star sequence, with those awesome laser cannons firing at the TIE-fighters. I remember thinking the movie was Swedish, for some reason....don't ask! I nagged my mother about seeing it for weeks, but she felt that it was too scary for someone my age () so I didn't get to see it at that time. Think it was rated PG or similar in Norway, essentially 12 years and up. Soooo.....I ended up sitting around trying to build the Millennium Falcon outta LEGO, with a high emphasis on the huge 4-barrel gun assembly....that was all I knew about the ship from what little I had seen. I got hold of a few of the Star Wars comics so I knew what the movie was about, but for quite a while that was all I knew. Then, in 1980, The Empire Strikes Back launched at the cinemas. I watched it on the opening day, and I was soooo hooked. I don't remember all of it, but what really DID make an impression was the AT-AT assault on the rebel base, as well as the Snowtroopers. I knew it had been partially filmed in Norway, and THAT just made it even cooler. Also, Darth Vader was after that the coolest person ever to walk across the moviescreen. In the same period from about 1979 to 1982, we had some really harsh winters in Norway (evident in the making-of-documentaries as well), with snowdrifts as high as 10 feet in the outskirts of my home town, in the lower parts of country. The snowbanks alongside the road after the clearing vehicles had been out in the morning was also pushing past 10 feet, same with the entrances to buildings and houses...pretty amazing really. And as mentioned, this was not up in the mountains, but right in the city. Of course, us kids thought this was dead cool, and we played Snowtroopers and rebel soldiers attacking each others bases (read: snowfortresses and so on) for at least the next three years. We didn't have any armor of course, but you can do soooo much with a pair of white snowjog-boots (shucksty experiment to try to couple running shoes with winter boots), white nurses dresses (...I know ), balaklavas, empty white plastic detergent-cans and a toy dart-gun. My mother might have a picture of that somewhere... In 1982 (I think) The Empire Strikes Back was re-released on the cinemas, and a 2-3 weeks afterwards A New Hope went on again. They both ran at the same time that year. So that was actually my first viewing of A New Hope. The next year, Return Of The Jedi was released, and then we all switched to running around in the forest next door instead, the battle of Endor being flavour of the month...or year. Oh man, how I miss those years....

Hi all, It does appear that most infantry-units in Norway (at least the patrol-type units) get a sort of poncho. I know I've been given 3 different versions of it for my current assignment. The "poncho" we get issued is made in Norway, and is called "Fjellduken" (literally mountaintarp or mountaincanvas). It's made primarily of polyester with the inside being aluminized for reflecting heat. Also, on most versions, there is a Nylon liner for both isolation and absorbing condensation, sometimes removable but on most versions it is permanently attached. I've got 2 or 3 of these privately as well, and they're pretty awesome....but quite expensive. Comes in different colours and patterns, and in several formats as well, for example as a kinda replacement sleepingbag, good old poncho and more or less regular jacket and pants. I have to say that this is the single most useful item I have with me....and I always carry it on ops and excersises. Also got one in my car.

Hi, Sorry for the thread necro, but does anyone have the Riddell helmet blueprint? If so, could whoever that might be tell us what the different text-bits says on the blueprint, as in what the legends says on the different thingamajigs inside the bucket? It's impossible to read on the linked picture... I got the MR Scaled helmet, and it looks pretty similar on the inside, but it didn't include any blueprint. Thanks in advance. Regards, endl3ss

Yup, that's the Star Wars Visual Dictionary picture I saw earlier. I sure wish there was a picture covering the front of the helmet as well. That's where most of the details are. It would be nice to hear the original thoughts on the different parts of the helmet. I mean, one can quickly come to the conclusion that the aerator-tusks are associated with breathing/atmospheric filtering, as the TIE-fighter pilot helmet breathing apparatus is terminated into these two receptacles, but what about the rest? Oh well, I dunno....

Hi! I've been trying to find a visual reference for the Stormtrooper helmet details, that describes what the different parts are meant to be in the movies. So far, the only thing I've seen are the rectangular grey panels at the top back of the helmet, that are termed "Heat Exchange panels" or something like that, in the Star Wars visual dictionary (that I don't have, btw...just saw a small pic in a post here). But what about everything else on the helmet? I know that many folks here use the aerators as small loudspeakers for the voice effects and amp, but what are they supposed to be in the movies? The "grin", the blue stripes on the side-tubes, the tear-drops, the aerator-tusks and the toothy "mouth" between them and everything else, anybody know what function they are meant to have in the movies? Any answers will be appreciated!